Menominee Football 2006-2007

There have been many great football teams from the Upper Peninsula over the past 120 years. Perenni­ally U.P. teams have competed in the State tourna­ment and earned great respect from coaches and fans throughout the State of Michigan. But the longest winning streak ever was set by one of the most domi­nant teams in U.P. history, the 2006 and 2007 Menomi­nee Maroons.

Coach Ken Hofer had coached many great teams before those two seasons, including a Class BB State Championship in 1998. His unique single-wing of­fense was often too much to handle for other teams not used to its combination of speed, execution and trickery. But in 2006, his team perfected the single wing to the point of being completely unstoppable and the offense was matched by an incredibly stingy defense. The Maroons marched through the 2006 campaign unstained, culminating in a 41-6 trouncing of Madison Heights Madison in the Division 5 State Championship game. To underscore the team's domi­nance, Menominee scored 538 points during the season and only gave up 44!

This dominance would continue into the next season, as the Maroons matched the 14-0 season of the year before. Scoring 528 points to their oppo­nents' 155, Menominee won its second straight state title with a 21-7 victory over Jackson Lumen Christi, becoming only the second team in the U.P to win back-to-back state football titles (Crystal Falls Forest Park did it in 1975 & 76).

The streak would continue for one more game, with the Maroons winning their 29th in a row by defeat­ing Wrightstown (Wis.) in the first game of the 2008 season. However, they lost the second game of the year to a powerful Mequon (Wis.) team, ending the greatest winning streak in U.P. football history.

Rep. Bart Stupak would present a resolution in the United States Congress for the 2006 team. From the floor of the house, Stupak stated, "Menominee and the people of the Upper Peninsula know that when we proudly chant "U.P. Power." it is a reflection of our pride in our Menominee Maroon football tradition and the fine young men who brought home another football championship to our fine community. It is with great pride that I ask the U.S. House of Repre­sentatives to join me in congratulating and honoring these football champions."